


Under Pressure

by vaderina



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Blood, Cave-In, Concussions, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, M/M, Newt!Whump, Percival!Whump, They all live
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-16
Updated: 2018-05-16
Packaged: 2019-05-07 23:47:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14682027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vaderina/pseuds/vaderina
Summary: The fight against Grindelwald ended up being somewhere in the Urals, the mountains make for a beautiful setting for such a hard duel. Sadly the mountain isn't so beautiful on the inside - as Newt, Percival and Theseus discover. It's collapsed around them, trapping Newt and Percival into a small space, injured and with only Theseus to find them help.





	Under Pressure

It was official. Aside from being a madman Grindelwald was an utter cunt. They were somewhere in the Urals, the mountains surrounded them and the air was crisp. It also stank of spellfire, crumbling earth and molten rock. The situation wasn’t looking good for either side but the aurors were pressing deeper into the cave that was Grindelwald’s lair. Hope fuelled their advance while despair drove Grindelwald. The shouts of surprise that went up were quickly drowned out by the booming cracks of the mountain falling in on itself.

“He’s set off the self-destruct sequence. Everybody out!”

People began the mad rush of a series of quick apparitions to the mouth of the cave and beyond, away from the destruction the falling rocks were wreaking. Newt looked over his shoulder for his brother and cursed. He’d always been gifted with apparition, could do it from a young age and at greater distances but Theseus hadn’t been so fortunate. Sure, he could apparate with ease but the speed and distance wasn’t quick enough. Newt glanced around and with horror the realisation dawned on him. Theseus wasn’t going to make it out. There was no way that Newt could go back and grab him and apparate him to safety either, so that left just one solution.

A warm body slammed into Theseus and the gut wrenching swirl of a side-along blurred his vision until his back hit a solid wall of rock. He heard Newt growl under his breath even as with an almighty crack the ceiling finally caved in above them. Something jolted them, a third voice let out a pained shout as everything around them was plunged into darkness. Newt’s hastily thrown shield charm shattered and a few smaller rocks crashed into them but somehow they were in a pitch black nook. Dust settled around them slowly, the air was thick with it and made Theseus’ throat feel dry. He tried to clear his throat but it didn’t do much. The darkness made him dizzy and he grabbed onto Newt’s shoulder to steady them. Slowly they sat up with a groan.

“You fucking idiot,” Theseus berated his brother, “just what were you thinking?”

“I was thinking about saving your sorry ass,” Newt shot back. Something warm and sticky dripped onto Theseus’ hand. He scrambled for his wand even as someone wheezed in their little pocket of space. The brothers stilled.

“Was that you?” Theseus asked and Newt hummed a negative response. “Who’s there?”

“You’re both stunningly stupid, you know that?”

“Graves! You utter pillock, what are you doing here?” Theseus almost laughed in anger.

“Playing the hero and saving both your sorry asses. Newt didn’t have a shield charm up in time,” Percival’s voice came from the floor and was tight.

“Well thanks old man, what say we apparate the hell out of here and get a beer for surviving?”

“About that,” Percival’s voice trailed off. Theseus finally found his wand and cast a low lumos. Newt was crowded against him in a crouch, the rocks from the cave-in were low over their heads. There was just enough room to sit up but that was about it. Opposite him Newt made for a terrifying image. His hair was plastered with blood which had trickled down his face and was smeared into a fine red sheen across his cheek and jaw. Tentatively Theseus reached out to move his brother’s hair out of the way to get a good look at the cut. It was a nasty lump with a gash down the centre. An “episkey” could do away with most of the damage but the concussion that accompanied such an injury was something only a potion could help with. Remembering himself Theseus cast a glance around their little pocket of air but Percival was nowhere in sight. He looked down and almost cursed. Percival was lying on the cold ground, a sharp piece of rock had him pinned by the stomach and there was a small pile of boulders covering his legs. It wouldn’t have been so bad if only the edges of the rock on the soft part of his belly weren’t stained red and a small pool of blood wasn’t growing under him. The brothers lurched into action. Newt slowly lifted the smaller rocks and boulders off Percival’s legs, the broken bones could wait for a skelegro potion but they didn’t want to cut off circulation. During their ministrations Percival was quiet, too quiet. Theseus crouched next to him and looked up at Newt.

“We’ll just get this last rock off your lazy butt and then we’ll be on our way, okay?”

Percival nodded, a light sheen of sweat coated his face. Gently Newt laid his hands on the shard of rock while Theseus tried to keep Percival’s attention on him. It should have been the other way round, Newt soothing his lover but Newt had more experience with injuries –even if they were with creatures rather than humans. A soft levitation spell to ease the weight from his hands started Newt’s ministrations. As soon as he tried to shift the rock there was an ominous groan from above them. A few smaller chunks of rock fell, one struck him on the head.

Theseus was torn, by his knees he could see Percival bite down on his lip to keep from crying out in pain when Newt began to ease the rock from his wound. Yet he could also see Newt stagger as the fist-sized rock struck him.

“Newt, sit down,” he barked and was surprised when without arguing Newt plopped down, he listed to one side a little.

“I think,” Newt’s words were slow and too measured to be natural, “I think it would be foolish and dangerous to move the rock.”

“I can see that,” Theseus replied. Anger bubbled in him. The other two were both in such a predicament because of him. If only he’d been quicker to get out, realised what was going on before it really came quite literally crashing down around them. Then Newt wouldn’t have had to try and save him. Percival wouldn’t have had to step in either. They should have just left him. It would have served him right for being so foolish. An idea formed in his mind.

“Newt, can you apparate?” It was a stupid question really, Newt could barely sit with his concussion let alone try to make a complicated spell over a long distance but it was worth a shot.

“Why?” Newt’s question doesn’t fill him with confidence.

“You go and get help. Apparate as far as you can, tell them we’re down here and can’t move. It will get them to us quicker.”

Newt’s bitter laugh didn’t sound encouraging. His eyes flicked up to Theseus before they closed against the light.

“I couldn’t apparate onto your lap from here let alone out of here. I’d splinch myself and get stuck in a chunk of stone. You go.”

Theseus stuttered. He couldn’t go. Newt was the one who needed medical care, needed to get checked out while Theseus himself was unharmed.

“It’s easy,” Newt promised, “just think of the outside, imagine going up rather than out it will be quicker. Brace for a landing, it will be rough.”

“He’s right. You go,” Percival joined in. He tried to smile up at Theseus but it fell a little short.

“I won’t be able to come back to you,” he said, scared to leave the other two behind.

“And we wouldn’t expect you to. Just get us help,” Newt replied, his smile was full of trust which felt so misplaced in Theseus. “Go brother.”

Another look at the two of them and Theseus took a deep breath. He nodded and closed his eyes, imagined where he wanted to go. The swirling of an apparition took hold of him, he felt it tugging on his core and he was gone in a black cloud.

The light went with him and Newt let out a startled little huff. It was pitch black once again, the ground was cold under him. Perhaps it was a little easier that he didn’t have to see Percival pinned like a butterfly but lack sight didn’t erase the knowledge.

“How you holding up?” It was typical Percival to ask about someone else even though he was in a bad shape. Newt laughed bitterly.

“Probably better than you. I can still feel the world spinning, my head hurts like no tomorrow. And I’m worried about the air running out. What about you?”

“Theseus will get us help in time, we’ll be fine. Why don’t you tell me a story about one of your creatures? Just to pass the time.”

Newt knew it was a ploy to get his mind off the beginning of claustrophobia that was beginning to set it. It also kept him awake, conscious despite his eyes feeling heavy. A story would probably also help Percival, distract him as much as possible from his predicament. Slowly, haltingly he began to tell the story of how he and the niffler got acquainted. By the end of the tale Percival was laughing.

“Ow,” he gasped. “The next story needs to be a little less funny, laughing hurts.”

“Sorry,” Newt replied, a smile tugged at his lips though, “your turn though. Tell me about the time you went out with the aurors and played a key part in being banned from half the speakeasies in town.”

“You’re not meant to know about that,” Percival replied. Regardless he began the story which Newt had heard from Theseus before. Towards the end of the tale his words became shaky, breaths a little shivery.

“Cold?” Newt asked, he was curled around himself to try and preserve his own warmth. Percival only hummed in response. Without saying anything Newt gingerly felt his way across the small area and made no comment when his fingers dragged through a sticky patch of cooling blood.

“Sorry, I don’t think I could manage a lumos in this state,” he apologised. Under his fingers he felt Percival try to shrug.

“Not to worry, me neither. I think it’s your turn for a story.”

It went on like that for a while. Percival didn’t want to say anything about the increasing headache that pounded behind his eyes. Nor the way even a full breath of air didn’t quite feel enough. He knew what the signs were, their air was running out.

“Tell me about Theseus,” he nudged Newt. Their hands were linked and Newt had tried to curl around him in the hopes of sharing warmth. It wasn’t exactly successful, Percival pinned down as he was, leg crushed. Still, Newt hadn’t complained about lying in the cooling blood as he rested his cheek on Percival’s shoulder and held his hand over his chest.

“You know him, what more is there to say about him?” Newt asked.

“What was it like growing up with him?”

Words came haltingly from Newt, slurred and often times difficult to find. Percival tried not to worry but his thoughts were jumbled too. He could feel them drift from his grasp before he could fully form them.

“I don’t think Theseus is going to get here in time.” Newt’s voice was soft, resigned. Percival closed his eyes, not that it made any difference. Part of him wished that he could at least see Newt’s face once more. Bloodied, bruised and all was better than nothing.

“It doesn’t seem like it, does it?” he asked instead.

“I just,” Newt didn’t hiccup over his words but his voice definitely broke, “I don’t want to make this seem like the desperation of a dying man. But, I hope you know I love you.”

“You told me this morning silly, of course I know. And I love you too.”

“That’s good,” Newt nestled into Percival and they let themselves silently drift. The headache was slowly becoming a pounding thrum keeping time with their almost frantic heartbeats. Next to him Newt jolted awake which sent a sharp spike of pain through Percival. At least it woke him up. He knew he should have been thinking of death, his life and all he’d achieved. But his thoughts weren’t coherent enough. Instead all he could think of was how grateful he was that Newt was next to him and they didn’t have to see each other visibly suffer. Perhaps the pitch black wasn’t quite such a bad thing after all.

Dust fell in his face which roused Percival. A few smaller pebbles and stones clattered around them.

“Newt?” he asked and got a slow querying hum in return. “Did you move?”

“No,” his reply was slow to come. There was another shift in the stale air and more rocks clattered around them.

“Newt,” Percival used his free hand to gently shake him, “wake up. I think they’re coming.”

“About time,” Newt mumbled but painstakingly slowly he peeled away from Percival and sat up. More rocks clattered and there was a draft of fresh air. Percival could have laughed with relief. A small pin prick of light appeared at one end of their bubble.

“Over here!” Percival called, the new air invigorated him. Next to him Newt blinked in the light. He looked an absolute mess, drenched in dried blood, face swollen and puffy on one side. Percival didn’t think he’d ever seen a more beautiful sight. The hole became bigger and a face appeared in their view.

“Thank fuck you’re still alive to shout,” Theseus’ relief was palpable. He disappeared from view and another face appeared, this one was unfamiliar to Percival.

“I’ll apparate down to get Newt out then there will be two people to come get you Percival, that okay? Just hold tight, it’s almost over,” true to their word the healer apparated into their little hole while a few others were levitating rocks from around them. An arm wound around Newt’s and they were both given a gentle smile.

“You’ll be together again in no time, all patched up and a story to tell,” they apparated away. Theseus stuck his head back in the hole.

“Grindelwald?” Percival asked. The frown he got told him everything.

“The sneaky bastard got away. We’ve been focussed on getting everyone out and he gave us the slip. No doubt we’ll see him again soon though.”

“How many?” It was a testament to their friendship that Theseus knew what he was asking.

“Only four. You, Newt, two French aurors. Everyone else made it out. We got very lucky.”

Percival could only nod in agreement. Two healers apparated down next to him and he could finally let go.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on tumblr - @ladyoftheshrimp


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